New York & Beyond

It's hard for me to imagine…

In my early twenties, I went on with my career, working with Martha Graham, dancing on Broadway and in London with Mary Martin, choreographing "Top Banana" with Phil Silvers, choreographing the Ron Fletcher Dancers on NBC's weekly ALL STAR REVUE, choreographing the LIDO in Paris 3 years and staging 13 editions of the ICE CAPADES. I also staged shows for Il Teatro Duomo in Milan, Italy, and made TV and concert appearances with Tallulah Bankhead, Marlene Dietrich, Ethel Barrymore, Josephine Baker, Carol Channing, Sonja Henie and other great talents of the time. I always went back to Pilates when time and location allowed.

With scant formal education, I was given an honorary degree in 1951 from Utah State University so that I could spend a summer there as resident teacher/choreographer. I also worked with Alma Hawkins in her movement therapy program at UCLA and Santa Monica College on honorary degrees (1975-1977).

I am an Irish/American Indian gay Gemini- a top candidate for alcoholism, and mine had progressed to the point where I was crazy and impossible to work with when I was drinking, which was most of the time. I began to black out, disappear, smash up bars, and miss rehearsals and openings. My producers, after exhibiting lots of patience, summarily tossed me out of all my contracts – on my butt. I had hit bottom and zoom, all my goodies and fine favors were whisked away. I sat on my pity pot for a long time. The word was out- talented guy- bad boozer. Easter Sunday April 15, 1967 was my first AA meeting and from that day I haven’t had a drink for over 37 years. I regard that as a true spiritual awakening. I am grateful to AA and many people, especially those who kicked me out of my posh positions and on to my BOTTOM.

I did no work for a year, and spent time evaluating, taking inventory of myself, and deciding what I wanted to do and what I could do. My rehab therapy included almost daily sessions with Clara. Joe died later in that same year, and from long sessions and wonderful talks with Clara came a dazzling inspiration: Teach Pilates Work- Body Contrology! So, with Clara’s blessing, love and sound advice, “There is far to go with this work- this is just the tip of the iceberg- this work is in your blood and you are the man to create and develop it from this point on, Go and do- just always remember the A, B, C’s, ” I began to teach.

I continued to maintain my relationship with Clara Pilates through letters and visits to New York. She was not only a beautiful soul and a lovely and caring lady, but she was also the truest teacher/disseminator of Joe’s work ever! “Dis machine iss your partner” she said. “You don’t work on it or at it, you work with it.” She taught me to work more slowly so that I could feel each piece of the movement as it moved through my body “from the inside out” resulting in a rich experience of body, mind, spirit. Focused, and feeling more aware of the wonder of the BODY and the workings of it’s parts. Joe was a genius but it was Clara who was able to impart the subtlety and quality of the movement.  Clara was generous and encouraged me to continue to teach and develop the method.

I introduced the work to Los Angeles on March 17, 1971 and thanks to Aida Grey, Howard Borris and Hal David, I opened a beautiful studio just above dear Aida Grey’s Salon de Beaute', smack on the corner of Rodeo Drive and Wilshire Boulevard in Beverly Hills. As no one outside of Manhattan was familiar with or knowledgeable about the name Pilates, I called my studio The Ron Fletcher Studio for Body Contrology. Many people in “show biz” knew my name and “Body Contrology” gave it weight and mystique. I’ve always liked the term Body Contrology. Joe said “it means discipline: control of the body, mind, breath and spirit.” I thank him...

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